‘Postman Pat: The Movie’ recently had its Kendal premiere at the Brewery Cinema for an early showing before it opens nationwide in the presence of his creator John Cunliffe and the actor Stephen Mangan.

Recorded in Soho, animated in Jordan and directed by an American, it features Ronan Keating as Pat's singing voice and Stephen Mangan as his normal voice.

The idea was first devised over 30 years ago in a tiny terraced cottage on Kendal's Greenside by a rookie teacher and is based on the local area and in particular the valley of Longsleddle, which runs to the north of Kendal. There are still many people living in the valley who claim be the models for the various characters

A SNOW leopard which featured in a movie starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman is the latest addition to a South Lakeland zoo.

Young male Pavan, one of two leopards who played the part of Stelamaria in The Golden Compass, will be housed in a walk-through enclosure at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis at Hale, near Milnthorpe.

Staff have created a homely feel for their new feline friend with the enclosure designed to look like a Himalayan village with plenty of rocks for him to climb and snooze on.

An acrylic tunnel running through the enclosure will allow visitors to see Pavan in his own habitat in what is thought to be the UK’s first walk-through big cat exhibit.

Assistant manager of Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, Caroline Howard, said: “We’re really excited about Pavan’s arrival - he’s a real celebrity cat! His new home is amazing. You can walk right through his territory while he ranges around you - even above your head!”

Once he has settled in his new environment, zoo staff hope to form a breeding pair by adding a female snow leopard to Pavan’s enclosure.It is not known how many snow leopards are left in the wild but they are now classed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is joining the captive breeding programme which is run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.